Seven centres would be operated by seven non-government organisations in different parts of the Capital and they would serve both lunch and dinner at the fixed rate. Each meal would have about 1,000 calories.

The Chief Minister said the objective was to provide nutritious food to the poor and those working in factories, shops and other establishments. “They now need not take food from roadside eateries prepared in an untidy atmosphere,'' she said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly V.K. Malhotra accused the Chief Minister of trying to divert people's attention from the rising prices of essential commodities by launching schemes like Jan Ahaar. “The attempt by the Government to offer subsidised meals to residents of poor areas is like adding insult to injury,'' he said.

Prof. Malhotra claimed that the ‘Aapki Rasoi' community kitchen scheme that offered free cooked food to the poor had proved to be a failure as “barely a handful of such kitchens remained in operation and even they were highly suspect on grounds of quality of food and nutritional content''.